Date:         Fri, 8 Jan 1999 19:44:53 -0800
Reply-To:     YauMan Chan <YAUMAN@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         YauMan Chan <YAUMAN@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Longevity tips (longish)
Comments: To: stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

>>> Stuart MacMillan <stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM> 01/08 2:13 PM >>>
  Any others with more than 100K on their heads?
>>

I have 135K miles on my 87GL.with all it's original heads and gaskets and valves.  I am the original owner and it has never been inside a VW dealership for anything after the initial warantee period.  Most of the mileage were put in in it's first 5 years when it was our own reliable car and my wife and I commuted 40miles everyday to work/school.

I do all the work on the engine.   It's been on synethic oil from her first 10K miles onwards. (Mobil 1 or Castro) and I change oil once every 7.5K or 10K miles.. whenever I get around to it.  I do a major tune up 2x a year.  It's running very strong and consumes about 1 quart of oil every 5K miles.  Pass our California's imfamous SMOG2 test with flying colors everytime.

I have seen and fixed all the other problems found on this list..hestitation, fuel leak, water pump leak, water hose flange cracks, rear heater valve crack leak, and the list goes on.  I have all the body rattles, sliding door won't close, sliding door won't opern, sliding door opens by itself etc etc..  But the heads are good and compression on all the cylinders are still acceptable -So.. knock on wood.. I am just lucky!!

My advice on longevity? Use synthetic oil, use the right oil filter, put a bottle of Chevron Techron fuel system cleaner in the gas tank once every 2 month. (I am on my original injectors and have yet to be removed to be cleaned! - how about that for better living through Chemistry!)

Yau-Man Chan
87 GL